The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-03-03
THE MAJORS STORY.

THE MAJORS STORY.
"By the living jingop' cried the major,
stretching out his legs little farther
under the mess table and bringing down
his hand upon it with such force that the
glasses rang again; 'sby the living jingol
don't believe there's a man in the regi-
ment, or in the whole British army either,
that's had as many, aye, or half as many,
narrow squeaks for his life as have"
General attention was Immediately con-
centrated on the major, for the above
speech was familiar to all present When
it burst from the majors lips we all knew
that his wonderful memory had recalled
to him some hairbreadth escape, some
daring exploit of which he was the hero;
or, which was just as good, that his
equally wonderful imagination had con-
jured up some such picture, still having
himself for the center figure. ...
And when the majors memory or i'm
agination supplied him with an anccdote
he was always generously eager to impart
it to his friends and brother officers. In
deed, wo had heard most of his stories
three times at the very lowest rate Of
computation, but then they were retold
with such numerous variations and addi-
tons that they never fell fat on our ears.
But let the major tell the story that Is
evidently trembling on the tip Of his
tongue in his own way and without fur
ther interruption or explanation.
And what's more, besides having got
safely out of some very pretty scrapes
myself, as you all know''-here there was
loud chorus of asserting voices, and a
fervently uttered True for you, major,
and the saints be praised for that samep'
from young Irish suhaltern, lately
joined, to whom the majors stories
still wore the gloss of novelty,
though his irreverent and meagrely
yelled scepticism caused that eloquent
raconteur to view him with some
suspicion-'T dare say you also know"
he continued, that I've helped to get
other men out of them too, But I don't
know that ever saw any man-except
myself, of course-nearer being swallowed
up by the jaws of death than our colonel
was one day out in India, For some time
past we had had no regular fighting, and
were in hopes that We might be able to
negotiate peace without further blood
shed. But meanwhile there was a kind
cowardly ours of natives never showed
themselves openly, but would hide in the
wood by which our camp was pretty well
surrounded. ~. .srE ~ s ~ - ] d..
IA right spot for picnic party, but a
qnare situation for a campr' murmured
the subaltern, who was promptly adjuresll
to "Dry up, and let the major speaks''
"Concealed in this covert, they would
nick OR pno man hare Ard o4l..s
from immense distances; for, you know,
they had got possession Of q lot of old
rifles, and when once they had found out
how TO use them, they were beggars to
shoot. And the most aggravating part of
1t was, that though they ran fast enough
when discovered, vet il you did get hold
OF thcm, and 1t came to the point, they
didn't seem to mind being killed in the
least. AS sure as I'm living man, they
seemed, like the cells, rather to enjoy it.
l suppose they knew there were plenty
more to follow; but, 'pon my honor, it's
astonishing how cheap those fellows
seemed to hold human life. eAtL.v y.
''Well, as / was going to say, our col
onel was rs brave man as ever breatheu
the breath of Life, but he was rash, ter
ribly rash; and one day he was strolling
about between the camp aud the wood
when happened TO catch sight of him.
The very place where poor Willis was
bowled over last week week. said to
myseif. IN just keep an eye on the
colonel, and see. that he comes to no
HARM !
$50 strolled out after him, and then I
remembered that after Willis was shot by
some scamp lurking among the trees, we
had posted sentries at short distances
along the outer edge of the wood, We
called II 4 wood, but it was really only
long, narrow belt of trees sllirting the
camp. However, | thought might as
well walk round to where. the sentries
were on duty and make sure that oil was
right. But when I got to the place where
/ could have sworn the first of them
ought to have been standing there was
no sentry there. So went OH to the Sec
ond post, hut 1t was deserted, too, and so
was the third, and the fourth, In fact,
there was not o man out Of the half dozen
to be found .ra-ssa
"Of course, knew ut once that there
was some trcachery on foot, and resolved
to hurry back to the camp to give the
alarm, So off started i'm hot haste.
took short cut through the wood in the
direction Of the camp, but ! hadn't got
more than half way across when thick
clump Of brnshwood aroused my suspicious
as very likely place for an enemy to be
skulkfng in. So, keeping my revolver In
readiness, went up to it, resolved to I'M
Garth any of the tricky seoundrels who
might have chosen it as q snug little spot
in which to lie perdu. l plunged in boldly,
but keeping a sharp lookout.
"When got into the middle there was
small open space, and in it lay-you may
judge of my horror when came suddenly !
upon them-the bodies Of the six murdered
men, huddled one upon the top of the
other. Soldier though | was, and don't
think an over cowardly one, l felt inclined
to turn and fly from tho horrible sight.
You may hardly credit it, but the bare
recollection of It makes my tongue feel as
If it were glued to the roof of my mouth.
ut was too horrible and CHASTITY TO feel
myself alone, shut in by the dense under
wood-alone with those six Jieeless corpses.
With an effort evereame my feelings of
horror, and stepped forward to examine
the bodies. There was. no blood upon
them, and at first I could find 10 trace
of any kind Qf-yioleGe. At last my eyes
fell upon what sent q cold shudder through
my veins. / had often seen fellow creatures,
ay, hundreds of them, slain in fair fight
on the battlefield, and had myself knocked
over many man as coolly as would
partridge among the stubble; but to see
those men, each with a. uyid, swollen
circle round his neck, with staring eyaa.
plaokened lips and protruding tongue, tell,
ing that he had been foully and. treacher.
ously strangled, that was q widely diff
ferent thing9
eSurc, the major must have begun his
examination at his boots, since he couldn't
at first began the 1rishman soto
vocc, but was checked by sudden glance
shot at him from the keen eyes Of the
major, who repeated slowly and with Q
visible shuddeE, q wnoee eepunspssp